The monstrous tragedy at Crocus City Hall has already claimed the lives of at least 133 people. On the day of the terrorist attack, a national ballroom dancing tournament was taking place in the building. The Sport correspondent recorded a monologue from Bastion studio coach Daria Oreshnikova, who witnessed the events.
“We would have simply been trampled”
It all started at approximately 20:05. My child, colleague and students were in the area of additionally equipped locker rooms. At that moment, a crowd began to run out along the corridor from the dance floors. I don’t know if someone directed them or if they fled from the entrance themselves. People shouted: “They’re shooting at us!”
It was not possible to immediately understand what was happening. We realized that there were a lot of people running and decided to join them. We found an emergency exit and went outside. Panic grew, everyone was scared, no one understood what was happening and how to proceed.
Another one ran towards our crowd from the other side. There were people there in an even more unstable condition. They shouted that they were killing. We converged on one point and a stampede began. I fell into a slight stupor. It’s good that the 17-year-old student grabbed my hand, took my son under his arm and dragged me back. Otherwise we would simply be trampled. The crowd was very powerful.
When we returned to the dance area, the workers said that there were people with machine guns around the Crocus. They said that the entrances should be blocked, so it was safer to stay inside. All this time the tournament continued. We thought: maybe everything was greatly exaggerated, and the shooter was some sick person with a fake pistol?
There was no new information. We tried to find out whether the staff was aware of what was happening and what they knew in general. Five to ten minutes after we returned, a second wave of people ran. They shouted that everyone urgently needed to escape. This time, the staff directed everyone to another exit, which was located behind the stands of one of the sites.
But even at that moment the tournament was still going on. There were no announcements. The judges, presenters — everyone remained in place, people continued to dance. In the hall were the 14-15 year old category, youth and adult dancers. There were very few children: they danced in the morning, but some stayed to support their friends.
We found ourselves on the landing and the staff pointed up. The whole crowd ran there. This confused my colleague and I: we would be trapped if the criminals got there. We walked up two flights of stairs, then another steward, who didn't even have a walkie-talkie, directed us down. There was a stampede and panic again.
“It took 40 minutes to get out”
We returned to the dance hall for the second time. The employees themselves did not understand what was happening, and only drove us back and forth. We waited for instructions from them, because it is logical that they should receive information first. The tournament was finally stopped.
By that time, the locker rooms already smelled very strongly of burning. Someone I knew said that there was a very strong fire at Crocus and that everyone should be evacuated. We were told to take our things and get dressed. We did just that, and decided that since they were allowed to go out, it meant that everything was fine on the street. We calmly walked to the exit, went down, there was no more running around.
But on the street, of course, it was still scary. It was very dark, the lights didn’t work, it was unclear where it was better to go, where it was safer. We went right, towards the main parking lot. There, the student’s father was waiting for us in the car.
No one was allowed in from the Moscow Ring Road, everything was blocked off. But they allowed us to leave. Perhaps they already gave some information after we left, but I didn’t hear it. We found ourselves in the first wave of those who left Crocus.
- After recording an interview with coach Daria Oreshnikova and the appearance of critical publications in the media about the evacuation of participants in the dance tournament in Crocus, the Sport editorial office asked Nadezhda Erastova, president of the All-Russian Federation of Dance Sports, Breaking and Acrobatic Rock and Roll (FTSAAR), for comment. She said the evacuation went “clearly” and no one was injured. Read the full version of the statement by the head of the federation at the link below.
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